New cross-border project launched to strengthen Kenya-Somalia ties
The Mandera project sought to improve security along the border with Ethiopia and Somalia, with the hope that these efforts would eventually lead to the reopening of borders to facilitate free trade and the movement of people.
Another project aimed at enhancing resilience in communities along the Kenya-Somalia border has commenced in Somalia, sharing objectives with a similar initiative launched in Mandera two years ago.
The Mandera project sought to improve security along the border with Ethiopia and Somalia, with the hope that these efforts would eventually lead to the reopening of borders to facilitate free trade and the movement of people.
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The new project, dubbed Daris Wacan—which loosely translates to good neighbours in Somali—aims to benefit 160,000 people by expanding access to sustainable water, strengthening infrastructure, and promoting climate-adaptive livelihoods.
Speaking at the launch in Mogadishu, Frantz Celestin, IOM Regional Director for East, Horn, and Southern Africa, emphasised the need for collective action in addressing climate challenges.
"Climate challenges do not recognise borders, and neither should our solutions," he stated.
Somalia’s State Minister of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing, Mohamed Mohamud, highlighted the project's alignment with regional development policies.
"This project is also a testament to our regional collaboration, as it brings together diverse people from different governments and local community groups. The Daris Wacan project aligns with our development policies, including trade opportunities, enhancing cross-border management and integration, and fostering common security operations," he said.
The three-year initiative, funded by the European Union (EU), will be implemented by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Former Interior CS Kithure Kindiki accompanied by senior security officials when he visited the Mandera border post on February 2, 2023, (Photo: MINA)
Dr Ali Maalim Mohamud, Deputy Governor of Mandera County, noted the importance of water management, digital connectivity, and infrastructure development for border regions.
"Mobility, when managed effectively, is not a problem; rather, it benefits both migrants and local communities. Development is truly meaningful when it serves all people, including migrants. The Daris Wacan regional project is a step forward, but it alone will not be sufficient. Governments must work together to achieve more," he stated.
The project, however, should not be confused with the earlier initiative Derris Wanaag—a Somali phrase for good neighbourliness—a cross-border project launched in Mandera in 2023. That initiative aimed to enhance peace and stability while strengthening social and economic dynamics along the Kenya-Somalia-Ethiopia border.
Funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Derris Wanaag helped mitigate household income disparities in flood-affected communities in areas such as Diif Kenya, Diif Somalia, Khorof-Harar, Gerrile Somalia, Elwak Kenya, and Elwak Somalia.
In Kenya, three locations—Khorof Harar, Diif Kenya, and Elwak Kenya—were targeted, with 1,200 households receiving support, each receiving Sh18,148. Likewise, in Somalia, 1,200 households in three locations (Gerille, Diif Somalia, and Elwak Somalia) benefited, with each receiving $110 over three cycles from December 2023 to March 2024.
The UK High Commissioner, Jane Marriott, described the project as a strategic investment in the Horn of Africa region.
"You have numerous challenges together—drought, resource conflicts, armed proliferation, terrorism—but you also have so much that is good and positive together, and this is what we want this programme to help bring out," she said at the time.
At the time, Kenya had promised to reopen the border with Somalia, but this decision was later reversed due to security concerns.
Then-Interior Security Minister and current Deputy President, Kithure Kindiki, had announced that the Mandera-Bula Hawa border point would be the first to reopen within 30 days, followed by the reopening of the Liboi-Harhar-Dhobley crossing on the Somalia side and the Kiunga-Ras Kamboni border point in Lamu within 90 days.
However, Kenya later deemed the move counterproductive, as it coincided with plans to withdraw troops from the now-defunct African Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
The Kenya-Somalia border stretches approximately 800km and has proven challenging to secure due to dense forests, rough terrain, weak border infrastructure, and other logistical difficulties.
"We are eagerly waiting to see how the drawdown will progress, and perhaps after a few months to almost a year, we will be able to make these border points fully functional," said Interior PS Raymond Omollo.
ATMIS was replaced by the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) in January this year, with Kenya set to contribute troops.
Meanwhile, discussions regarding border reopening have taken a backseat, even as Kenya and Somalia deepen their relations through trade.
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